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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24717907">To Dream</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LucifersKitten/pseuds/LucifersKitten'>LucifersKitten</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 01:01:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,004</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24717907</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LucifersKitten/pseuds/LucifersKitten</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Buffy's fears are realized.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>To Dream</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>To Dream</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She wanders along empty corridors, flickering lights casting shadows into the corners. The silence is deafening, and she can hear the rush of her own blood in her veins. The air is stale, and a bit... metallic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Goose-flesh suddenly covers her and she rubs her arms, looking for the cause, but finding nothing. A slight sound, off to her left, and she freezes, trying in vain to catch it again. She holds her breath, willing her heart to stop pounding, stop distracting her, but still, nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She begins to move again, slowly, ever so slowly along the corridor, open doors along either side, empty rooms, all of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The smell gets stronger, and finally she can taste it in the back of her throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They taste and smell so similar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She absently wonders why that is.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She continues forward, looking for another soul anywhere, but there is no one else around. She is completely alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shouldn't be surprised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After all, in the end, she will always be alone. It's just how it is. She fought it. Swore that she would be the one to change it, but no matter how hard she loved, how much she tried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She always died alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She thinks that she should be more afraid than she is. After all, something is very wrong with this place. But she can barely care. She has been here before and she will be here again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This place. It's inside of her and there is no escaping it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her family, friends, no, not even her beloved Watcher can save her from it, nor can they accompany her here. This is her Hell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hears the sound again, this time she smiles faintly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She has heard that growl so often in her nightmares, but it no longer has the power to scare her. She welcomes it. It means that peace is not far away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After all, it only takes a moment if she's lucky. Of course, she became the 'One girl in all the world'. How lucky could she really be in the long run?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She catches a glimpse of movement, but only a glimpse. It was just a flash, really. She moves toward it. If death is coming for her, then she would meet it head on, and she would embrace it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sees a figure, nothing more. A shadow, only slightly darker than the shadows surrounding it. She moves toward him slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her heart pounds in her ears, and she can feel the shaking in her limbs. She’s surprised to find that it’s anticipation rather than fear coursing through her. She doesn't want to see, but she knows already.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His face becomes clearer and she catches her breath, freezing in place without realizing it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes. Those once beautiful expressive eyes flash yellow, and the shard of pain in her chest is like ice. She didn’t realize how much it would hurt, to see him like this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t supposed to be this way. She had imagined, feared this as her fate, but not his. Never his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She moves again. Her hand slowly comes up, as if she's approaching a wild animal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He doesn't move, just watches her from the shadows. Waiting to see what she will do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes search her hands, seeking a weapon, a stake, but she is unarmed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiles softly and, oh how that smile cuts her.  She once lived for that smile, but now…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spike told her. A Slayer dies when she's ready. They all have a death wish. It's just a matter of when they decide to stop fighting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She's done fighting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She reaches him and finally comes to a stop in front of him. His face shows her his demon, but then changes back to the one she knows as well as her own reflection.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tilts his head, eyes narrowed, waiting for her to decide both of their fates.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stares into his eyes a moment longer and then closes her own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She drops her hands to her side, and tilts her head, exposing her neck, her posture relaxed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His hands gently touch her shoulders, gathering her closer, and he stares into her face a moment longer, waiting to see if she will open her eyes, change her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She does not.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His features flicker, the demon rising once more as he lowers his head slowly, running his nose along the length of her neck, smelling the blood pumping in her veins, the adrenaline, but surprisingly, no fear there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He brushes a kiss on her jaw, then sinks his teeth into her neck slowly, drinking deeply.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wraps her in his arms as her knees buckle, and pulls away looking at her face again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes flutter open, and she can see his brow quirked at her in question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She manages a faint nod, and sees his grin as her lids close again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A moment later, she tastes the metallic wetness and parts her lips, swallowing sluggishly as her mouth fills.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Darkness closes around her and she sighs, leaning against him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She knows she should be fighting, but this is where she wants to die. In his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why would she fight that?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After all, isn’t this what she deserves? She failed him. Failed them all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She faintly hears him chuckle as she fades away....</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She opens her eyes. The sun is bright and she lays there a moment, trying to figure out where she is. Finally she accepts that it was only a dream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She's still here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She's still alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She doesn't notice the tears that slip down her cheeks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s gone, and she doesn’t have the will left to do this anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She told him she couldn’t do this without him. She never could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looks out the window at the new day and wonders where he is and when he will come for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Perhaps tonight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She only knows that it won’t be much longer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she will welcome the end when it comes.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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